I’m sitting here in Houston in our rented apartment trying to hurry the healing process so I can get back to feeling like myself. Another thing that I can only do so much about. It is so amazing how our bodies work so well everyday. Something I will not be taking for granted again!

Two weeks out from surgery and am slowly graduating out of the soft food stage. (Doug makes a mean bowl of mashed potatoes.) As a food person, it’s crazy to see all this yummy food and not be able to eat it yet!

Had the staples removed from my eleven inch incision. Nice. Hurts to laugh so, please, no crazy jokes quite yet if you can help it! Don’t get me started about coughing. Ouch.

Also thinking about this new stage of cancer survivorship. For the past eleven months, I’ve had one focused goal – kill the cancer. Now that I’m not in immediate danger, my plans seem a little fuzzier. I’m just trying to catch my breath and soak it all in, reflecting on how this experience has impacted me so far. How to to stay clear about the lessons learned and yet not let this experience define me.

After my doctor’s appointment at MD Anderson this Thursday, I plan on stopping in to see my new friend Val who had HIPEC surgery while I was in the hospital. She was wheeled onto my recovery wing just as I was being discharged. Another tough cookie.

Can’t wait to stop by and see my friend Marisol at home — a super tough cookie and an inspiration even before the Big C adventure. Here’s to drinking good coffee and eating yummy chocolate truffles! (Well, maybe we’ll have to wait on the coffee/truffle part.)

One of the best outcomes of this ordeal is that I am forming new friendships with incredible people who have been through similar experiences.

OK, enough for now. As a good friend told me today, get some rest!!!